CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13 Number 12
THE HUNTING MONTH
OCTOBER 16, 1984
KERR SETTLED: Tribes to get more money and license, but
A "historic agreement in principle" between the Tribes and the Montana Power Company was announced at the Oct 5 quarterly meeting in Pablo to a crowd of about forty people
Pending fine tuning and FERC
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
approval, the agreement calls for:
• A 50-year joint license between the two competing applicants with MPC controlling the dam for the first 30 years, then turning it over to the Tribes for the remaining 20 years.
• During the first 30 years, MPC will pay the Tribes $9 million a year in quarterly installments due in advance of each quarter's operation The $9 million will be increased each year based on the Consumer Price Index.
• At the end of the first 30 years, the Tribes will pay MPC its net investment in the facility which will be the original cost of construction plus subsequent improvements, minus de-preciatioa
• MPC will train Tribal members to operate the dam so the transition period will go smoothly
• MPC will "wheel" the power over its lines for the Tribes.
• A court case about adjusting the annual rent since the license expired in 1980 will be dismissed
• Should FERC not act on the agreement within six months of its being filed, it "self destructs" and negotiations will begin again or the case will go to court
The announcement of the agreement, settled Oct 4 in Missoula was made at 11 am by Fred Houle, Jr., who read a news release signed by Joe Felsman
Reaction to the deal was quietly positive "Fm thrilled with the news," said Tinka Di Pasquale, Polsoa "The news should brighten people's outlook because we' re finally doing something on our own"
Members of the Natural Resources Department congratulated the Council for its wise decision, and Dr. Al (Concludes on page three)
Tribal Health grant to finance alcohol program
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The big news at the St Ignatius Community Action Team meeting Sept 26 was the announcement that the Tribal Health Department has agreed to grant the St Ignatius school $15,000, according to Mary Herak, alcoholism program planner.
Herak said the bulk of the grant money is earmarked for educational programs and equipment Nine major educational events are being planned,
most of which will be open to the entire Reservation community. In addition, a K-12 multi-media drug abuse prevention curriculum called "Here's Looking At You, Two" will be purchased as soon as a planned revision is completed. It will be supplemented with tvvo other prevention curricula "Children Are People", a K-6 program and the Four Worlds Curriculum a
(Concludes on page two)